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(No ModeM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. H. ALLIS'ON.

PORTABLE PARE RECEIVER.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. H. ALLISON. PORTABLE PARE RECEIVER.

Patented May 5,1891.

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(No Mon`e1.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. M. H. ALLISON.

. PORTABLE FARB RECEIVER.

No. 451,6311. Patented May 5,1891.

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UNITED STATS PATENT Chinon.

MATHEV HERBERT ALLISGN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES E. ALIlISON, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE FARE-RECEIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,611, dated May 5, 1891. Application filed November 18, 1890. Serial No. 371,776. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom vit may concern:

Be it known that 1, MATHEW HERBERT AL- LIsON,a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Nashville, Davidson county, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usef nl Improvements in Fare-Receivers, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication.

My invention relates to a receiver in which fares or coins may be deposited7 and it .has reference more especially to fare-receivers used on passenger-cars, and to which access is had to the interior and the contents thereof only by an authorized officer having charge of the key by which the receiver is opened.

The invention consists in the various novel and peculiar arrangements and combinations of the several parts of the apparatus, all as hereinafter fully'described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown myinvention as embodied,preferably, in a manually-portable fare-receiver, which is designed and adapted to'be carried in the c'onductors hand while collecting fares and inspecting` and registering the same and to be Supported upon a belt worn by the conductor when the receiver is not in use.

In the drawings, in which like numbers of reference designate like parts throughout., Figure 1 is a side view of the receiver supported by the belt of the conductor or person using the receiver, the belt being shown in portion. Fig. 2 is a broad side view of the electric key in circuit with a battery. Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the electric key applied thereto and about to be forced into electric contact with the contacts of the lock of the receiver. Fig. 4: is an enlarged View of the receiver with the fare-pouch removed and the contact-plate of the lock swung to one side. The handle of the receiver is broken away 1n this view; likewise part of the contact-plate. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the receiver with the fare-pouch attached, the plane of the section being indicated by line 5 5 in Fig.

el. Fig. G is an enlarged sectional view of the receiver, the plane of the section being taken through the center of the device at right angles to the section shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on a plane indicated by line 7 7 in Fig. G. Fig. S is an enlarged View of the fare-receiver, partly in section, of the side of the device opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. the lower part of the pouch being broken away. Fig. 9 is an under side view of the device shown in Fig. 8 with the fare-pouch removed.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a shell or casing, made, for instance, of metal, which is curved or rounded at its upper end, and is provided with a removable plate or side 12, which is held in place by means of its upper end taking into a notch 13, formed in a projection upon the upper end of the casing, and the screws l-i, which enter perforations inthe ears 15, located upon the inside of the casing.

To thelower end of the casing 11 is detachably secured the fare receptacle or pouch 1G,`

which is preferably made of a soft flexible material-such as leather, for instance. The mouth or opening of this pouch is provided with a rigid frame 17, which in the present construction is rectangular in shape in order to conform to the shape of the base of the casing of the receiver over which the frame is designed to lit, as clearly indicated in the drawings. This receptacle or pouch '1G is locked to the receiver by means of an elec trically-operated lock, hereinafter to be described, and the coins or fares dropped in the receiver finally reach this pouch, where they lodge until the pouch is unlocked and the contents removed.

The coin tube or chute 1S, into which the fares are dropped, and through which they finally reach the fare-poucl1,is provided with a aring or funnel-shaped mouth 19, located at the top of the casing, and extends thence down through the casing and to one side thereof to the bottom, where it empties into the fare-pouch. This chute may be formed separately from the casing, and then suitably secured therein, or it may in part be integral with the casing, as desired. The lower part of the coin-chute 18 is provided with a freely- IOS swinging trap plate or valve 20, which is hinged so that when the receiver is inverted the contents of the fare-pouch 16 will be prevented from passing back through the coinchute and out of the receiver by the closing of the trap-plate 2O over the chute. This will prevent any one from extracting the contents from the fare-pouch by shaking the same out of the chute.

In order that the coin or fares dropped in the coin-chute may be inspected before they are finally deposited in the fare-pouclnl provide an vopening or a window 2l at the rear side of the receiver in a convenient place to be observed by the conductor or person collecting the fares. This peep-window is provided with a glass 22, and opens directlyinto the coin-chute at or near a point where there is located a stop-finger 23, which normally projects into the chute in such a way as to check the passage of any coin or fare deposited in the same and hold it until the finger is withdrawn, which, when thefare-receiver is provided with a register, is operated in conjunction therewitl1,so that when the stop-iinger is withdrawn to permit the deposited fare to escape it and pass into the fare-pouch the register will serve to register the same.

The stop-linger 23 consists in an arm, which is preferably bent, as shown, and projects through an opening 24 in the side of the chute and is mounted upon'a rock-shaft 25, so that at -each rocking of the shaft the stop-linger may be withdrawn from the passage of the chute and then returned. This rock-shaft 25 is provided with a spring 26, which tends to normallyT hold the stop-finger within the coinchute. A trip arm or projection 27 is fixed upon the rock-shaft and is designed to be engaged by a moving part of the register in such manner that at each registration the arm 27 may be tripped, so as to turn the shaft in opposition to the spring acting thereupon in order to withdraw the stop-finger.

In the construction shown the register comprises, essentially, a number-wheel 28, provided with a set of numerals 29, and mounted loosely upon a fixed arbor 30, which is secured in a suitable manner within the casing of the receiver. The number-wheel 28 has its periphery formed with teeth 3l, which engage the trip-arm 27, thereby causing the stop-iinger to be withdrawn and returned as the number-wheel is advanced in its rotation one tooth. A second or totalizing` wheel 32 is arranged near the number-wheel. By means of a pin 33 on the number-wheel and gear 34 connected with the totalizing-wheel each revolution of the former will serve to turn the latter one step to record its revolution, as will be readily understood from the drawings. A spring 35 bears upon the gear 34 and acts to prevent an over rotation or a backward rotation of the.totalizing-wheel.

The lever 36 for operating the register is connected with a sleeve 37, loosely mounted upon the arbor 30, and a springSS, surrounding the sleeve and having one end Iixed thereto with the other end secured to an adjacent stationary point, keeps the lever normally pressed upward and serves to return it to its normal position at each operation thereof. The operating-lever 3G projects through an opening 39 in the side of the casing and has its free end provided with a suitable thumbpiece or button. This lever carries a pawl 40, which, by means of a spring 4l, connected between the pawl and the lever, is held in engagement with the teeth 3l of the numberwheel 2S. The range of movement or sweep of the operating-lever 36 is limited by the upper and lower ends of the opening 39 in the casing, and each depression of the lever will advance the number-wheel forwardly one step, in order to effect the registration of a fare, the pawl 40 moving idly over the teeth in the return movement of the operatinglever.

The register is preferably provided with an alarm consisting in a bell 42, having a hammer or striker 43, which is pivoted at 44 to a bracket 45, which is mounted in fixed position upon the arbor 30. A spring 46, which is connected between the hammer 43 and a rigid arm 47, extending from the bracket 45, tends to keep thehammer pressed toward the bell'. A stop 100, mounted upon the bracket 45, limits the movement of the hammer 43 in one direction. Upon one end of the hammer 43 is a fixed pin orprojection 48, which is held in engagement with the teeth 3l of the number-wheel. As the number-wheel is turned forward one tooth by means of the operatinglever, the pin 48 is gradually raised to the high part of the tooth, and is then snapped over the point of the same by the force of the spring 4G, and this serves in an obvious manner to throw the hammer against the bell and sound the same.

Suitable openings 40 and 50 are formed in the side of the casing, through which the numbers registered by the number-wheel and the totalizing-wheel may be read. However, the register-wheels or the openings are covered by a removable plate or shutter 5l, which forms the contact-plate of the electric lock, hereinafter to be described. This plate or shutter 5l is held locked in the position covering the register-wheels, and can only be released so as to expose the register by an authorized person having a key to the-lock which holds the shutter. This plate 5l is locked by means of the saine lock which secures the fare-pouch.

The eleetrically-operated lock which secures the fare-pouch or receptacle 1G to the fare-receiver consists in a bolt or latch 52, which engages a shoulder o1' projection 53,1oeatcd upon the inner side ofthe frame 17 of the farepouch. The side of the frame 17 opposite that engaged by the bolt 52 is formed with depressions 54, adapted to t over the heads of the screws 55, which pass through the casing and into the center of the electro-magnets ICO IIC

56 and 57 for holding the same in place. rlhe heads of the screws 55 and the depressions 54T, together with the lock at the opposite side of the frame, will serve to securely hold the farepouch to the receiver. At the same time it may be easily removed or detached by drawing the bolt 52. The latch 52 projects through an opening 58 in the side ot the casing, and is supported upon a frame or yoke 59, which is pivoted at the two points GO 60 upon the casing. This frame 59 has a slight play on its pivot 60, so that it may be moved toward and away from the casing sufficiently to move the bolt a distance sufficient to lock and unlock it. The bolt 52 is acted upon by a spring 61, which normally keeps the bolt shot or in locked position. Through the center ot the spiral springl extends a iixed screw-threaded stem or rod G2, on which works a thumb-nut 63, which isengaged by one end of the spring. By moving the nut one way or the other along the screw-stem the tension of the spring may be varied.

The electro-magnets 56 and 57 are connected by a bridge-piece 64, and the armatures and 66 of the respective magnets are pivoted at `the points 67 and 68 to the removable plate or side piece l2 of the casing. The armatures are arranged with their free ends near together, and each one loosely engages the bolt 52, which is formed with a notch 69 at cach side thereof for receiving the end of lthe armature-levers. The frame 59, carrying the bolt, and the arm attire-levers 65 and (Sti, which control the same, being mounted upon the plate 12, they are removable with the same. The spring of the lock keeps the bolt normally shot or locked, and the bolt is drawn against the action of its spring, so as to unlock it whenever the magnets are energized and draw down their armatures. rlhe circuit of the lock leads from one of the insulated terminals 70 on the movable plate l2 by the wire 105 over the magnets tothe other terminal 70, so that whenever the circuit is completed between the terminals the magnets both act to draw down their armatures, thereby releasing the lock of the fare-pouch. rlhe terminals 70 are engaged by the terminals 7l 71,located upon the inner face of the contact bearing-plate 5l, which swings en a pin or screw 72, secured at the upper end of the casing. The wires 105, located between the terminals 70 and the magnets, are sufficiently slack to allow the plate l2, on lwhich the terminals 70 are iixed, to be removed from the casing. This plate 5l is made of suitable insulating material, and is provided on its edges with a metallic wear-plate 73. The outer face of this plate is provided with a great number of metallic contacts 7 et, which may be arranged in any manner. Sonie one of these many contacts is electrically connected with one of t-he terminals 7l, while some other one of them is connected with the other terminal 7l, while the remaining contacts are not in circuit, but are inert and are sham or decoy contacts, in

order to prevent any one from readily detecting which are the true or active contacts on the lock. When the contaetplate 5l is moved into the position shown, for instance, in Fig. l, and the fare-pouch is secured to the casing and locked, the latter will serve to hold the plate against movement and to keep it locked until the pouch itself is unlocked and removed.

The contacts 74 of the lock are designed to be engaged by a set of similar contacts 75, carried by the electric key 7 6. This key in the present construction consists in a thick iiat body, made preferably of wood, with one face thereof covered by a sheet 77 of suitable insulating material-such, for instance, as hard rubber. The contacts of the key are set on a fiat surface thereof and are designed to be arranged in the same order as the contacts 74 on the lock, with their heads all in the same plane similar to said contacts, so that each contact 75 of the key will engage with one of the contacts 7 4 of the lock. However, only two of the contacts of the key are in circuit with the battery 7S, the wires leading from which are attached to the key by means of the binding-posts 79 79, which are connected by secret wire with the two active contacts of the key. All the contacts of the key, except those that are active or in circuit, are sham or decoy contacts used to prevent detection of the true contacts, as is the case with the contacts 7i of the lock.

The key 7G is applied to the lock by placing it in the position shown in Fig. 3 and forcing it in the direction of the adjacent arrow into close contact with the contacts 7 fi of the lock. All of the contacts of the key apparently make contact with those of the lock. The active or true contacts being arranged so as to meet each other, the circuit will be completed from one side of the battery to post 79, one of the active contacts of the key, one of the active contacts of the lock, one of the terminals 7l which is upon the inner side of the plate 5l, olie of the terminals 70 by way of the electro-magnets to the other terminal 70, thence to the terminal 7l of the plate 5l, the other active contact of the lock, the other active contact of the key, the binding-post 79 to the other side of the battery. Vhenever this circuitis completed the lock will be released in an evident inanner. By this peculiar arrangement of a great number of contacts on the key and the lock, most of which are sham or decoy contacts, it will be practically impossible for any one not having the proper key to succeed in bridging or bringing into circuit the true contacts of the lock.

Various combinations of the true contacts may be made or the combination maybe easily changed, so as to increase the difficulty in detecting the proper combination. As the maker of the contactplate of the lock and also the key need be the only one who knows the combination of the lock, the person au- IOC thorized to have charge of the key may be kept in ignorance of the combination.

In the drawings I have shown a combination by which the electric combination-lock may be operated. For instance, the contacts 8O and 81 of the lock are electrically connected with the terminals 7l l7l, respectively, by means of secret connections S2 83, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The two contacts S4 and 85 of the key, which are each connected with a binding-post 79 by means of the secret connections 86 and 87,indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, are arranged so as to make contact with the contacts 80 and 8l of the lock, respectively. The body of the plate 5l is composed of two dat plates 110 and lll, of insulating material, placed flatly together, so that the secret wires 82 and S3 may be conveniently run between the two plates without exposing upon either face of the plate the arrangement of such wires. From this deseription it will be seen that in order for any one to operate the lock of the fare pouch or receiver he would have to select and electrically connect the two particular contacts SO and 81. As it would takeanumberof tedious trials to attempt to discover the combination, and as such attempts would be apt to be observed, no one would be likelyto even attempt to tamper with the lock.

There are a variety of ways which will readily suggest themselves in which my pe culiar electric eo1nbination-lock may be constructed. The construction herewith shown will be found to be a simple and durable one in which the key can be easily handled. In order that the key may be properly guided when applied to the lock, I have provided the same' with a guide Sb at the upper portion thereof, which is bent in the shape of the projection at the top of the casing in which the screw 72 is set. The lower part of the key is also provided with a guide S9 at each side thereof, which is slightly resilient in order to clasp the sides of the receiver when the key is forced into position. The guides S9 constitute the ends of a metallic strip, which extends around the back of the key, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, and which is secured thereto by suitable screws 90.

The form of the fare-receiver I have herewith shown is a portable one, designed to be carried in the hand by means of the handle 91 when in use in collecting` the fares or inspecting and registering them. This handle 9i extends vertically downward from a proj ection or stud 92, which extends from the side of the easing of the receiver at right angles thereto. The handle is arranged so that it may be easily grasped with the fingers and at the same time allow the thumb of the hand holding it to be tree to operate the lever 36, which actuates the register and the bell. Then the apparatus is not being used to collect fares, it may be hung to abelt 93, carried by the conductor, by means of a hook 94 on the back of the receiver, engaging with a metallic loop 95 on the belt.

The key, which is in the charge of an authorized officer, and which, together with the battery, is to be kept at a station, may be used with a number of diiferent fare-receiv ers having the same combination, or a different key may be employed with each fare-receiver, the combination ot each one of which may be different.

There are many modifications which may be made in the construction of my invention without making a departure from the spirit of the same. I therefore desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herewith shown and described. Of course any character of lock other than the electric one herewith shown maybe used with myimproved fare-receiver.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a fare-receiver provided with a register, of a fare receptacle or pouch adapted to be removably attached to the receiver, a lock for holding it thereto and preventing access to the interior thereof, and a plate or shutter controlled by said receptacle or pouch for concealing the register when the receptacle or pouch is locked to the receiver, whereby the register may not be visible or accessible until the `receptacle or pouch is unlocked.

2. A fare-receiver provided with a register having an operating-lever, a coin-chute provided With an opening or window for inspection ot the coin deposited therein, a movable stop for holding the coin in the chute for i11- spection, and an alarm-bell, said stop and alarm-bell connected with and controlled by the said registering-lever, whereby as the coin is finally deposited within the receiver the alarm-bell may be sounded and the coin registered.

3. A fare-receiver provided with a register, a movable plate or shutter covering the register-wheels ofthe register to conceal the same, and a lock for preventing access to the contents of the receiver, said plate or shutter being held immovable by said lock, whereby the register-wheels may not be visible or.acces sible while said lock is locked.

4. A fare-receiver provided with a register, a fare pouch or receptacle for the receiver, provided with an electrically-operated lock, a movable plate adapted to cover the register-wheels of the register, as a shutter, and provided with contacts in circuit with the electric lock-operating means, the said farereceptacle engaging the said plate and holding it in the position covering the registerwheels, and a key provided with contacts connected with a source of electricity and adapted to make contact with the contacts of the lock IIO for operating the same, whereby the registerywheels may be concealed until the tare-pouch is unlocked. A

5. A' fare-receiver provided with a register, a fare pouch or receptacle adapted to tit over the end of the receiver and provided with an electrically-operated lock, a pivoted plate provided with contacts in circuit with the electric lock-operating means and adapted to conceal the register-wheels of the register, and an electric keyprovidedwith contacts connected with a source of electricity and adapted to make contact with the contacts of the lock to complete the circuit for operating the lock, the free end of said plate being engaged by the said fare pouch or receptacle toheld it against ltnovement when the pouch or receptacle is locked, whereby the register-wheels may not be accessible while the fare pouch or receptaele is locked.

6. The combination, with a Jtare-receiver having a coin-chute provided with a window `tor inspection of the eoin or fare deposited therein and a positively-operated stop-finger movable in and out of the path of the coin in the chute for holding the coin or Afare at the window for inspection, of a register having a manually-operated lever connected with and controlling the movements of the stop-finger, whereby as the coin is registered the stop-tinger is moved to allow the coin to pass and be linally deposited in the receiver.

.7. A fare-receiver provided with aregi ster and a lever for operating the register, a coinchute having a movable stop-iinger located therein for checking the passage of the coin for inspection, and a spring-acted rock-shaft carrying the said stop-finger and actuated by the register, whereby the stop-iinger and register may be operated together.

8. A fare-receiver provided with a register and a lever for operating the register, a coinchute having a` movable stop-iinger projecting therein for checking the passage ot the coin for inspection,-and a spring-acted rockshaft carrying the said stop-finger and provided with a trip-arm adapted to be engaged by a moving part of the said register to withdraw the finger and allow the coin to pass as the register is operated.

9. A fare-receiver having a register provided with a register-wheel having a toothed gear moving therewith, a bell having a pivoted spring-acted hammer provided with a projection or pin engaged by the teeth of said gear, whereby the wheel is opposed in its forward rotation by the spring-acted hammer and is locked thereby against backward rotation, and a lever for 'operating the registerwheel.

10. A fare-receiver having a register provided with a step-by-step-actuated registerwheel mounted loosely on a shaftandformed with a toothed gear, spring-actuated means for opposing the forward rotation of said wheel and then locking it after such rotation, a spring-acted operating-lever mounted upon said shaft and turning thereon, anda pawl mounted upon said oliierating-lever and held in constant engagement with the said gear,

-whereby each vibration et the operatinglever may turn the wheel a step forward.

ll. rlhe combination, with a fare-receiver having a casing ll and provided with a register which may be read through an opening or openings in the casing, of a swinging plate 5l, adapted to cover the openings of the casing through which the register may be read, and a lock for holding` the plate 5l in closed position, Substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l2. The combination, with a fare-receiver having' a casing ll and provided with a register which may be read through openings in the casin g, and a swinging plate 5i, adapted to cover the openings through which the register may be seen, of afare receptacle or pouch titted onto the lower end of the casing and adapted to engage and hold the plate 5l locked in closed position, and a lock tor the tare receptacle or pouch, substantially as and tor the purpose set forth.

13. The combination, with a fare-receiver having a casing ll and provided with an electrically-operated lock for preventing access to the contents of the receiver, a register, and a plate 5l for coneealingthe register when the fare-receiver is locked and provided with a set of suitable contacts 74, one or more ol' which is in circuit with the electric lock-controlling means, ot' an electric key 76, provided with a set of contacts 75, one or more of which is in circuit with a source of electricity and adapted to make contact with the contacts T-t of the lock, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14. The combination, with a tare-receiver provided with a register having a numberwheel 9S, formed with the teeth 3l, ot' a coinchute provided with a peep-window through which the coin may be inspected before it is finally deposited in the receiver, a stop-finger 23, proj ecting into the coin-chute to check the passage of thecoinfor inspection, and a springacted rock-shaft 25, connected with the stoptinger and provided with a trip-arm 27, engaged by the teeth ot the number-wheel 28, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l5. The combination, with a fare-receiver provided with a register having a numberwheel 28, formed with peripheral teeth 3l, of a spring-acted operating-lever 36, loosely mounted on the shaft with the number-wheel and provided with a pawl 40, having a spring L.tl for holding it into engagement with the teeth 3l of the number-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1G. rlhe combination, with a fare-receiver having a register provided with a numberwheell 28, form ed with peripheral teeth 3l, of a bell t2, having a pivoted hammer 43, provided with a trip-pin 4S for engaging the teeth 31 of the number-wheel, and a spring 4:6 for holding the trip-pin 48 in engagement with TOO IIO

the teeth of the number-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. The combination, with a arerecci\'er having a casing 11, of a fare-pouch 1G, provided With a traine 17, a lock having its boit engaging one side of the frame, projections 55 upon the side of the casing 11 opposite theioek,

and the depressions 51, foi-ined in the frame 17 for engaging With the projections 55, substantially as and for the purpose described.

18. A fare-receiver having a register-Wheel mounted loosely upon a shaft and provided with a toothed gear, a bell having a springactuated hammer engaging the teeth of said 15 gear and operated thereby and acting to lock M. HERBERT ALLTSON. Titnessesz WALTER KEITH, ME. DRYDEN. 

